Triplicity
J. Mercer
Publication date: January 6th 2019
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Young Adult

One week on an Alaskan cruise, three teens, and an endless trail of lies.
Enter a series of thefts on board and they all fall under scrutiny. Though Navy acts a proper preacher’s daughter, she did end up with someone else’s purse in her hands, and Jesse knows way more than he should about what’s gone missing. Isaiah, however, is the one with motive—enough money and he could get back to his ranch. Each holds a piece of the truth, but exposing the thief could damn them all. They must navigate through the lies they’ve told, choose between standing together or saving themselves, and decide if innocence is worth facing their ugliest secrets.
*For readers of Kasie West and Jenny Han.*

This book was really charming! I wasn't sure what to expect from Triplicity but it definitely piqued my interest based on synopsis alone. I expected something a little more mysterious to warrant the mystery genre label, but Triplicity was more of a coming of age contemporary than anything else. And I was perfectly fine with that!

What intrigued me most about Triplicity was its pacing (drawn out and very much so devoted to the pure development of characters and relationships) and the fact that it was set upon a cruise ship. I am not sure why that was a massive draw for me, but I really thought the setting added an extra level of charm. Maybe I'm just a sucker for friendships, and romances, developing in a small window of time between virtual strangers, but there was this quality to it that made me really smitten with the entire deal.

The story itself is told in a split narrative between three characters. I had a little of an issue defining who was who at the beginning, but it was manageable and didn't take away from the story. Once I got the hang of their voices as individuals, I quite enjoyed having the rotation. Mercer definitely used this to her advantage and it shows with how wonderfully each of the three characters were crafted.

Navy, of course, was my favourite POV to read from. I liked how she grew in such a short timeline. As for the other two characters, Jesse and Isaiah, I felt myself really attached to them, too! Each of the three feel very real and very much so like flawed individuals. Further, they act their age--which is often rare in YA contemporaries.

I appreciate the connections that formed between them, too, and that the romance that is featured in Triplicity was organic and not at all overbearing. There was a brief time at the beginning where I was like, hm, this could end badly, but I really loved the path that Mercer took in portraying it. Because, in some ways, the romance was one of my favourite parts of Triplicity.

And that was unexpected.

There is something highly potent in Mercer's prose because you really do get to know each of these characters and you'll grow to love them--I felt very protective over them in various moments, whether it be the fingers pointing in their direction (when it comes to the mystery) to crappy relatives (or relatives to be), I had this hope that everything would end up okay in the end for each of them.

Overall, this was a really sweet contemporary. I found it impossible to put down and I have a feeling that it is the sort of novel that gets better each time you revisit it. I look forward to doing so in the future and I can't wait to hear more from J. Mercer as an author.

Author Bio:
J. Mercer grew up in Wisconsin where she walked home from school with her head in a book, filled notebooks with stories in junior high, then went to college for accounting and psychology only to open a dog daycare. She wishes she were an expert linguist, is pretty much a professional with regards to competitive dance hair (bunhawk, anyone?), and enjoys exploring with her husband–though as much as she loves to travel, she’s also an accomplished hermit. Perfect days include cancelled plans, rain, and endless hours to do with what she pleases. Find her on Facebook @jmercerbooks or online at www.jmercerbooks.com.

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